Sweat bands



7, 1955 H. M. BIRCH SWEAT BANDS Filed Sept. 22, 1952 INVENTOR M BY Zwm/MQ' ATTORNEY United States Patent SWEAT BANDS Herbert M. Birch,Bethesda, Md. Application September 22, 1952, Serial No. 310,781 1Claim. (Cl. 2-181) The present invention relates to sweat bands for headcoverings, such as hats, caps or the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a sweat band havinga hat retaining spot or area formed in a small portion of the bandmaterial at a position which will be adjacent to the center of theforehead of a wearer of the hat and which spot is preferably disposedbetween the upper and lower edges of the sweat band.

Sweat bands are usually made of leather or leatherlike material with anoutwardly appearing smooth surface. This surface may of course be ofplastic or any other suitable material. The sweatband alone is notsufficient to hold a hat or cap on the head on a windy day and it hasbeen discovered that a recessed area on the interior surface of thesweatband when slightly moistened will provide a fluid interlock withthe pores in the forehead skin and cause this area of the band to adhereto the forehead skin of a hat or cap wearers head so that the wind evenat gale proportions does not blow the hat or cap off. This loss of a hatin the wind is a constant worry in windy weather and many a good hat isleft home on a windy day for fear of having it blown off into thestreet, a mud puddle or the like.

The above and other objects of the present invention will appear morefully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description whichfollows, taken together with the accompanying drawing wherein twoembodiments of the invention are illustrated. It is to be expresslyunderstood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose ofillustration only and are not intended as definition of the limits ofthe invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like partsthroughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a fragmental perspective view of a hat, as observed towardthe interior thereof and showing the application of the presentinvention thereto, wherein the recessed area is being moistened from thetip of a wearers finger.

Figure 2 is a fragmental view corresponding to Figure 1, showing therelative disposition of the recessed area with a film of moistureapplied thereto.

Figure 3 is a cross section view taken along the section line 33 ofFigure 1 with the hat in inverted position;

Figure 4 is a detailed view in cross section of one form of the novelrecessed spot, showing the spot surface suitably formed with minutedepressions, canals, or the like adapted to retain a film of moisture,until engaged with skin on the forehead;

Figure 5 is another embodiment of my invention showing the spot on thesweatband made with small openings, channels or canals which extendthrough the thickness of the band and also showing the moisture held inthe openings, channels or canals as well as the moisture film over thespot, which film when applied to the forehead skin tends to provide afluid interlock with the skin pores and the said openings, channels orcanals.

Referring to the drawing and first with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3,there is shown at hat 10 with a sweatband 11 formed with a recessed area12 concentrated in one spot of the band. This area is provided withsmall recesses, dents, canals, or the like in the forehead adjacent sideof the sweatband. For example, one form is illustrated in Figure 4,wherein the spot formations 13 are minute depressions, dents or thelike. Also in Figure 4 is shown a film of moisture 14 over and withinthe formations 13. The moisture may be applied directly by the tip ofthe potential hat wearers tongue.

A second form of the invention is illustrated in Figure 5, wherein thespot or the entire sweatband surface may be formed with formations 15such as small canals, openings, or the like. The moisture film 16 whenapplied will penetrate these openings or canals and when the fluid heldin the spot formations contacts the forehead will be temporarilyinterlocked with the pores in the skin, until manually released.

The exact reason for the effective adhering action of the depressions,recesses or dents of Figure 4 and the canals of Figure 5 in combinationwith the applied moisture is not precisely known, but it is believedthat such action may be partly due to a fluid interlock between theseveral dents, pores or the like of the small area and skin recesses inthe forehead.

Thus I have provided a sweatband having the ability to hold a hat, capor the like on the head of a wearer in windy weather and wherein thesweatband may be manufactured economically in the usual standard mannerwith only the subsequent simple formation of the relatively differentsurface spot therein, whether the formations are openings, canals,recesses or dents.

Although only two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated indetail, it is to be expressly understood that the same is not limitedthereto, as various changes may be made in the formation and shape ofthe recessed area on the sweatband. For a definition of the scope orlimits of the invention, reference should be had to the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A sweatband for use in headwear having a smooth glossy inner headengaging surface throughout its entire extent, except for a relativelysmall area disposed at the forehead engaging portion and between theupper and lower edges thereof, said area being provided with a pluralityof moisture receiving recesses which are substantially larger than thenormal pores in a sweatband, the recesses in cooperation with opposingpores in the forehead of a wearer adapted to hold liquid and provide afluid interlock between the sweatband and the forehead of a wearer forretaining headwear provided with the sweatband in wearing position whensubjected to the action of relatively strong winds.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,186,316 Holmes June 6, 1916 1,366,890 Dehle Jan. 25, 1921 1,635,456Bowditch July 12, 1927 2,013,088 Drueding Sept. 3, 1935 2,294,654 CooperSept. 1, 1942 2,445,209 Clark July 13, 1948 2,615,452 Birch Oct. 28,1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 260,533 Great Britain Nov. 4, 1926

